In known methods, crankshafts are ground in a plurality of steps on different machines in a plurality of operations on grinding machines specifically equipped for this purpose.
Another method and a corresponding apparatus have been disclosed in DE 43 27 807. In this publication, a crankshaft is clamped with axial tension between locating centers of a work headstock and tailstock of a grinding machine. In this set-up, all the bearings, pin journals, flanges, journals and end faces of the crankshaft are finish-ground. In this case, at least two appropriately contoured grinding wheels are used.
It is thus known from the prior art that, on one hand, the crankshaft is produced in a plurality of machining steps on a plurality of grinding machines or is finish-ground in one set-up.